The ETIAS is a travel permit and will cost around €7 for people over 18 - and people will need to apply online before they travel© Getty Images

The date for the new £6 ETIAS permit, required for UK citizens to travel to Europe, has been confirmed. The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) will be necessary for Brits travelling to 30 selected European countries, including popular holiday destinations like Spain, Italy, France, and Portugal. However, the start date has been delayed until 2025 due to technical issues. 

And this comes as a new EU digital border system that will require fingerprints and facial scans to be taken from British travellers on first use is expected to launch in the autumn 2024, according to reports. The entry/exit system (EES) is earmarked to start on 6 October 2024, according to the i and Times newspapers, citing Getlink, the owner of Eurotunnel.

Under the EES, passengers would have to agree to fingerprinting and facial image capture the first time they arrived on the continent. After that, the data, including any record of refused entry, should allow quicker processing, according to travel bosses.

The EU Council has announced: “The new roadmap for the delivery of the new IT architecture foresees that the Entry/Exit system will be ready to enter into operation in Autumn 2024 and that ETIAS will be ready to enter into operation in Spring 2025.” 

Due to unexpected delays, the launch of the ETIAS system has been pushed back to May 2025. This system is a requirement for visa-exempt nationals travelling to any of the 30 EU countries, including UK citizens.

The ETIAS system will cross-check applicant information with other EU systems to enhance security. The 30-day wait means that travellers who forget to purchase their ETIAS may not have enough time to get one before their holiday.

An ETIAS permit will cost around 7, with exceptions for applicants over 70 and minors (18 or under), who will receive it free of charge.

The EU has explained: “Recent security concerns with terrorism and the migrant crisis have called for better management of who is entering EU borders. The EU has continuously declared its goal of making travelling within its borders a more secure experience. To reduce procedures and wait times and address security concerns, the European Commission (EC) has come up with a solution ETIAS.” 

“The ETIAS will undergo a detailed security check of each applicant to determine whether they can be allowed to enter any Schengen Zone country. While citizens of countries who do not need a visa for travel purposes of up to 90 days in the EU do not need to go through a long process of applying for the visa, the ETIAS will make sure that these people are not a security threat.”

Reasons the ETIAS can be denied to UK citizens: